HHP - 2019- Week 13 - Entry Space Week

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Holiday_Mom

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Lots to do this week!

Household Checklist
  • Clean and declutter the entryway. Done

Holiday Prep Checklist
  • Follow Thanksgiving Prep Timeline.
  • Finish Black Friday planning.
  • Take down Autumn decor.
  • Begin holiday decorating.
Still to do:
  • Look for Advent Calendar. Done
 
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Holiday_Mom

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I'm feeling much better about the shopping plan for Friday. I'm working off of my Thanksgiving Prep timeline. The turkey has been defrosting in the refrigerator. The next few days will be super busy.
 

Cindylouwho

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Juggling multiple events happening over here. I have an ailing relative that just passed away from cancer last night (expected and peaceful) so there are logistics to juggle. My own family doesn't know this person as well as I do so Thanksgiving and holiday events need to go on without missing a beat. Weird isn't it? It makes me wonder how much my Mom kept inside her when she was pulling off holidays all those years. She had to be just exhausted! I'm breathing though and have accepted Christmas will just be a little more expensive this year because I'm not going to be quite as efficient. I knew this was coming though so I've been bracing and that is one of the reasons WHY I ordered our Thanksgiving meal out this year. I have only a few meals to prep this year.

Knocked out much shopping yesterday and am ready for Black Friday. Missed some key online sales when the news came in last night but will deal with that next week. Right now I have a house to pull together this morning, sending DH to handle groceries, coordinating daughters in NY, figuring out online sales to buy time in the schedule so I can travel to see my family and ...... yes I agree... the next few days will be busy!
 

Holiday_Mom

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I have an ailing relative that just passed away from cancer last night (expected and peaceful) so there are logistics to juggle.
I'm sorry to hear this.

It makes me wonder how much my Mom kept inside her when she was pulling off holidays all those years.

I've often had those same type of questions. Things you don't even consider until you are going through it yourself. I have gained a better appreciation for many a family member.

Knocked out much shopping yesterday and am ready for Black Friday.

I did a fair bit of shopping online and spent a few hours in the store on Friday morning. I am happy with what's been done so far.

Thanksgiving was not at all what I had expected. My dh and children were unable to help with cleaning up until Thanksgiving morning. I had been warning everyone about my inability to do a lot of things and asking all along but I don't think they realized how serious things were until Thursday morning. Dh wanted to do the turkey differently this year. We usually put the turkey breast in the crockpot to warm up in gravy. However, dh wanted to do that in the oven instead. When 2 of our guests showed up an hour and 15 minutes early, the plans got so messed up. :eek::confused:

Dh was washing the floor. He had just gotten out of the shower and wasn't fully dressed. I was cleaning up the microwave. My hair was still drying. I had no make up and I was wearing my cleaning clothes. The food was just being taken out of the refrigerator and had to be warmed up. Then we heard the door. Dh said that our friends were here. They walked in apologizing for being 15 minutes late. I'm like, "No, you're not late at all." I could have just fallen through the floor at that moment. :oops: There was total chaos happening now. The children were scurrying around trying to finish the cleaning and getting themselves dressed. Dh and I were trying to figure out where to keep their two side dishes warm until 4 pm knowing that we still have to warm up our side dishes and turkey breast with gravy. As soon as the children finished dressing they started talking to our friends and I scooted out to get out of the work clothes and get ready. Meanwhile, dh put our side dishes in the oven to warm up alongside the turkey and gravy. The timing of putting the food in the oven was later than what we planned because of the early arrival and conversation. I came down and then he did a quick change. What I didn't realize was that the turkey breast was not covered so it started to dry out in the oven. o_OI quickly covered that and took a few pieces off the top. 30 minutes before dinner, the food was still cold so we cranked up the oven and kept an eye on things. 15 minutes before dinner, the food that was still cold was tossed into a bowl and microwaved for 5 minute intervals. It was about then that my parents arrived and then my brother. My parents had two side dishes that needed to be warmed up as well. As soon as they got situated, dh joined me in the kitchen and we worked on getting the crescent rolls into the oven. We put one tray of rolls in and the two side dishes. The other side dish was warmed up in the microwave. The other side dish was still steaming after being transported in a thermal carrier. We finally sat down around 4:20 or so for dinner. Every thing seemed fine from that point on.

Lessons learned:
  • Give a reminder confirmation call or text on arrival time to our friends. The last time they came over, they were suppose to be at our house at 5:30 and they thought it was 6:30. The meat was very well done that night.
  • Ask for food to be brought in a thermal food carrier and/or crock pot to free up oven space.
 
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Cindylouwho

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Thanksgiving was not at all what I had expected.

Wow! That's a GREAT Thanksgiving story! LOL! That's good for many re-tells! So not fair for people to show up early! Your oven scenario sounds very familiar. Many years with all the juggling in the oven. So you help me feel justified in my keeping 3 crockpots (different sizes) and a toaster oven in the basement literally JUST for Thanksgiving! And on top of that, because my poor brain can't keep it all together with the timing a few years ago I decided to delegate to the math wiz in the family (DH): "From here on it is your job to figure out the timing....so when does everything have to be in the ovens etc to come out on time". I honestly feel like it is one of those math problems "If the train leaves the station at....." :)

Well let me join you in an unexpected Thanksgiving. I was so proud of myself for thinking ahead and ordering Thanksgiving from a restaurant this year. Have never done that before but I knew this would really lower my stress at a chaotic time. I drove for an hour each way. Smelled great in the car....again so happy I was doing this.... Got home. DH and I were loading it all into the fridge and its like.....hey, isn't this container of turkey kinda light? So we peek into the box and there is SO LITTLE TURKEY! Barely 2 small slices per person! That would be okay if it was a single meal (which apparently it was) but I had ordered for lots of leftovers. The whole point of Thanksgiving is to cook once and not cook the rest of the weekend. So that family stared at the turkey and we decided "the heck with it". This is the year to figure out the Traeger (we've never done a full bird on the Traeger. Turned out great!) DH went into town and found a thawed turkey (a miracle). And then DS was like.... "We're doing our own stuffing, right?" So we made that. Then we made the special sausage rice dressing that is DH's favorite. Then DS made pies. And on it went! So really we had TWO Thanksgiving dinners possible -- but we liked the one WE had made. Lesson learned.

Good thing though is that DH and DS got MUCH more involved in the cooking and I think that will continue in the future. :)
 

PamelaG

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  • Ask for food to be brought in a thermal food carrier and/or crock pot to free up oven space.

If you and any family members that might be attending future holiday celebrations can invest in a piece of the CrockPot Hook Up system, it will really help with your keeping things warm outside the oven issue. The Hook Ups connect to each other and come in three sizes, I think the sizes are one with a large round crock, one with two medium ones, and one with an oval crock.
 

Myron's Mom

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That’s one for the books! I would love to have a Traeger. I bet that turkey was wonderful.
We always tell guest how early they can arrive (we learned the hard way for that one). Husband always confirms times with our guests. And I am a terrible host. Unless you called to tell me there’s been an accident and traffic is backed up we do not wait to eat. I generally don’t have guest bring food but if I do I have the people who have poor time management skills bring dessert or something not important to the meal. That all sounds awful when I read it but I’ve been “burned” (no pun intended) more than once.
 

Holiday_Mom

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So you help me feel justified in my keeping 3 crockpots (different sizes) and a toaster oven in the basement literally JUST for Thanksgiving!

Yes, keep them if you do an annual big meal event. Next time we have people bring side dishes, I will put the sweet potatoes in the electric frying pan to stay warm, the creamed spinach in the instant pot on the slow cook setting and the large crock pot for the gravy and turkey breast.

I honestly feel like it is one of those math problems "If the train leaves the station at....." :)

Oh my gosh, that is so true! LOL!

So we peek into the box and there is SO LITTLE TURKEY! Barely 2 small slices per person! That would be okay if it was a single meal (which apparently it was) but I had ordered for lots of leftovers.

Oh, you got to be kidding! How disappointing. It sounds like your dh, ds and you pulled it off. I never heard of a Traeger. I had to look it up. A wood fired turkey sounds good! I'm glad that it all turned out in the end.
 

Holiday_Mom

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If you and any family members that might be attending future holiday celebrations can invest in a piece of the CrockPot Hook Up system, it will really help with your keeping things warm outside the oven issue. The Hook Ups connect to each other and come in three sizes, I think the sizes are one with a large round crock, one with two medium ones, and one with an oval crock.

Thanks for the idea. :) I never heard of it. I just looked them up. They do look cool but I think for the volume of food that I make they would be too small. :(
 

Holiday_Mom

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That’s one for the books! I would love to have a Traeger. I bet that turkey was wonderful.
We always tell guest how early they can arrive (we learned the hard way for that one). Husband always confirms times with our guests. And I am a terrible host. Unless you called to tell me there’s been an accident and traffic is backed up we do not wait to eat. I generally don’t have guest bring food but if I do I have the people who have poor time management skills bring dessert or something not important to the meal. That all sounds awful when I read it but I’ve been “burned” (no pun intended) more than once.

Yes, I agree. Those are my sentiments too. I've been burned a few times. However, this was the first time I conceded to let people bring a side dish since I had vein work done on my leg 2 weeks prior. I made most of the side dishes and froze them but I didn't get to everything. I had to watch how much standing I was doing.